Community Prevention and Treatment Research (CPTR) Internship Description

The MayaTech Corporation Internship Program

Internship Description

About the Center: Center for Community Prevention and Treatment Research (CPTR) works with other units in MayaTech to design, implement, and report on research and evaluation projects covering various public health topics for local and national clients. These clients include federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health, Health Services and Resources Administration, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clients also include local foundations, community-based organizations, and institutions of higher education. Current program and system-level evaluations include: a national evaluation of 10 community-based participatory research projects to reduce gender-based health disparities; evaluation support for NICHD to report on its grants projects; a local (DC area) project developing a mobile application to assess childhood obesity in pediatric clinics; strategic planning for local health foundations; and evaluation of research centers at minority institutions of higher education. The national evaluation of gender-based programs also includes summarizing the cost-effectiveness analyses conducted by each of the grantees’ health economists.

Description of Opportunity: This internship will entail working with the Chief Science Officer (a research psychologist) and Center Manager (trained in public health and a Certified Health Education Specialist) on evaluation projects and research activities such as the following:

Participate in coordination of interviews and on-line surveys of program administrators and community members – including note-taking and quality assurance of transcripts

Assistance with preparing technical reports, community fact sheets, and papers and posters for presentation at professional meetings (interns will have the opportunity to co-author abstracts and, when available, co-present at local meetings)

Qualifications: Candidate must have research experience that includes some data collection, coding, data analysis (descriptive and cross-tabulations, at a minimum); searching the literature systematically using search engines and other Web-based tools; good writing and oral communication skills; a basic understanding of evaluation and research methods; good organizational skills and sense of teamwork; excellent attention to detail; and good facility and working knowledge of the Microsoft Windows Office Suite including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Working knowledge and experience with End Note or a Reference Manager-like application and familiarity with SPSS or qualitative analysis (manually or with software applications) will allow maximum opportunity for learning. Undergraduate and graduate students at any level considered, but successful completion of at least one upper-level social science, behavioral science, or public health course is recommended.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe at least three gender-based approaches used by community coalitions to implement a public health systems response to improve women and girls’ health

2. Demonstrate proficiency in using at least one search engine to conduct a systematic literature review.